Boom! Goes my Kitchen

Well, today starts with a little story from real-life.  Yes, I know, not "true to lore", but it does occasionally get the better of me.  You know how Silly Putty was invented by some crazy people trying to make plastique explosives?  Well, I think I may have figured out how C-4 was invented... maybe... just maybe by some housewife messing around with dinner not reading ingredient labels... but I am getting ahead of myself.  >.<

So there I was, the kids aren't home, I'm hungry, dinner has to be made, and I'm wanting something that might last a couple days with lunches and snacks.  Looking in the fridge I see there's some boneless pork!  Great, time to make sweet & sour pork with sticky rice.  Go wiggle mouse so LOTRO doesn't log me out.

Then I'm buzzing about the kitchen, trippling the sauce recipie while the rice cooks.  Always good to know math, so that's not my problem tonight.  Grab a pint bowl, start with a cup of vinegar, a bunch of soy sauce, ketchup, pineapple juice, water - pot's half full now of browny-red sauce - stir... go wiggle my mouse so LOTRO doesn't log me off.  (Yeah, you're starting to see the problem already...)  >.<

Come back, check & stir the pork browning in the pan... grab the cornstarch from the cupboard for thickening the sauce.  Scoop a 1/4 cup into the sauce... "Hey, wait a minute... it didn't fizzle like that when my daughter made it a couple weeks ago. Maybe I just need to stir it in."  Vigorously stir the sauce...

K A B O O M ! ! !

In less than 2 seconds, suddenly the sauce pot IS ALIVE!  Just like the grade 8 paper-mache volcano projects that we all loved, I've now got a never-ending living sauce vigorously expanding out of the pot, onto the stove, the floor, the counters...

Oh yeah... I grabbed the baking soda not the cornstarch.  Yep, I did.  Really.  Brown, sticky-sickly-sweet sauce was now everywhere and still expanding minutes later.  Complete epic fail in the kitchen - "Clean up on aisle two!"  The meat and pineapple pieces were not harmed in the making of this mis-adventure, and the sauce was re-made without further incident to anything but my pride.  /facepalm  /mood_embarassed

Oh, and LOTRO?  Didn't log me out.  Heh.  I'll take my wins anywhere today... so on with the blog!

Quite the gathering out at the Esteldin crafting hall.  Ran into Comegetit, Nimgoldthree, Myung, and Aregiel all enjoying time with the very popular vault lady.

Okay - I have a confession... is it really bad that I didn't notice until today that the side of the mountain at Thorin's Hall has a dwarf face carved into it?  Yeah, I know - can't see the forest for the trees kinda thing.  I've always found this area a little over-loaded scenery wise, and I guess, never looked at the big view. :)

Spent some time at the forges getting my Carn Dum key carved as part of the epic storyline.

Which led to another (yet not as adventurously crazy as last night with Toa & Caliath) romp through the Carn Dum dungeon.  Seems this sweet daughter was looking for her daddy... it didn't end well for her.

Tried to kick this guy's butt - but he ran off boo-hooing to Sauron about how life was unfair.  Left me to deal with Goldir, a daddy with a dead-daughter complex.  Yeah great - I always get stuck with the baggage ones.

Time for a minstrel glowy-party at the 21st mile marker.  Trevil, Bowllord and I were there glowing up for the likes of Naples, Dargwulf, Edlorthar, Leafman, Engress and Toruthil.  Great music!  :)

Got my invite to solve some riddles outside in Lothlorien, which meant a long goat ride to the First Hall... stopped by this bridge for a scenic shot - love the detailing into the roof here - looks like stone trees.

I get to the bridge of Khaza-Dum, only to find out that Gandalf has been here.  Yeah, that bridge-busting "I'm white, not grey" dude.  Seriously, can someone just fix the darn thing for the rest of us?  It's not that epic anymore... I mean, there's a plaque here now, and the goblins have set up a hotdog stand nearby.  When is enough, enough!?

Here I am relieving some tension having battled my way around to the other side of the "Dont-look-at-us-Gandalf-busted-it" bridge.  I debated jumping to see how really far it is down there, but I passed... for now.

Hey there, Suzietta!  Nice dress.  Black is always in.  Just wish they had one a bit more stylin'.  ;)

Here I am pretending to be a watch-dwarf.  Look left, look right, look straight ahead.  Yeah, nothing is coming up these stairs but us freeps!

<takes a deep breath of night air> Smell that?  Trees, clean, fresh air, Lothlorien!  Wow, the stars look awesome from out here.  Makes me appreciate the outdoors so much more after being buried in Moria for a few days.  Found the riddle - solved.

Then got the call to return.  Seems someone has gummed up the plumming in Moria... something a plunger can't solve.  So I'll be down in the Waterworks for a few days now.  Broke L54 today though!  :)

Love and hugs to all my fellow Dwarrowdelfians,

Sarharien -- Bowchick of Red and Collector of Shoes

Kierraen -- Minstrel of Delightful Octaves of Pain
Niphredila -- Warden of Gleeful Green Giggles